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COVID-19: States, UTs gear up for PM Modi’s appeal for ‘Tika Utsav’ starting today

Prime Minister Modi on Thursday (April 8) in a virtual conference with Chief Ministers, urged the states to encourage citizens to get vaccinated and also organise a ‘Tika Utsav’ across the nation from April 11 to April 14.

”Can we celebrate Tika Utsav from April 11 to April 14? During this time, we should vaccinate as many eligible people as possible and target zero vaccine wastage,” PM Modi said at a meeting with all CMs while discussing the COVID-19 situation.

Resonating with the PM’s call, various state governments have made preparations for the ‘Tika Utsav’.

“Goa will hold ‘Tika Utsav’ across the state from April 11-14, 2021. The vaccination drive will be undertaken at the panchayat level for maximum coverage,” said Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy has also written to the Prime Minister requesting for supply 25 lakh doses of COVID vaccine for the `Tika Utsav` to be held between April 11 and April 14. The Chief Minister said that there are only 2 lakh doses in the state and another 2 lakh doses were received on Friday (April 9). 

“There is an urgent need for another 25 lakh doses for our state which if made available to us before April 11, Tika Utsav can be celebrated under your able leadership in my state in a grand manner and it can be showcased at the national level,” Reddy wrote on Friday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also gave directions to the Health department and others to make necessary arrangements for the ‘Tika Utsav’.

The Goa government will launch `Tika Utsav`, a grassroots drive to maximise coverage of the Covid-19 vaccine for people above 45 years, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday.

The drive was launched a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a virtual conference with Chief Ministers, urged the states to encourage citizens to get vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the Centre has said that states are being given an adequate number of vaccine doses.

India had started the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 16. The second phase of the vaccination drive started on March 1 and the third phase on April 1 for all above 45 years of age.  

(With ANI inputs)

Source: dnaindia.com